How to make a layer transparent only for some objects / background ?

[Régis5C52]

Hi everyone,

i'm currently struggling with something : i'm making a skeleton-dinosaur and i want to give him a "ghost body" with transparent white layers.

Each part of the body has to be on a separate layer in order to animate if afterward.
The problem is that the layer create an adition between them;

It currently look like picture 1) and i want it to look like picture 2)

Thanks

[Monika Gause]

In which app will you create the animation?

The outlines will be moving with it when animating. So you would need to find out the options you have in the animation software for generating an outline around several layers. You could also just delete the top path segment, but that probably would not do it.

[Régis5C52]

I will animate in adobe After effect.

i thought that if i give some characteristic to my layers in Illustrator they will keep it in After effect

[Monika Gause]

Yes, it will keep it. But you have objects on several layers for the animation and they move. So the outline needs to be created in After Effects on the fly, because the position of the legs will change.

THis could be done in Illustrator dynamically. But the dynamic nature of it does not carry over to After Effects.

[Régis5C52]

Ok i get it for the outline, thank you 🙂

Is it the same for the "body" ? Do i have to do it in AE ?

I want it to look like picture 3) and it looks like picture 4)

[Monika Gause]

The outline should run around the whole body, right? Just on the outside, no matter where the legs are when walking, right? THen you have to do it in After Effects, because the leg positions will change.

[Régis5C52]

I'm sorry but i'm not sure what you're calling "the outline" so i made plan (picture 5, bellow).

I understand that i have to create the outline on After-effect because the legs will move so it have to be done dynamically.

However, what i don't understand is if i have to create the body (the 50% transparent layer) on after-effect also ? Because they will move to and in order not to have "holes" in my animation, the layers overlap creating different oppacity and color (as you can see on picture 6)

Thank a lot for your time, i really appreciate it (and sorry for my bad english)

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

THose overlapping parts might create issues as well. Inside Illustrator you could use Appearances to solve it. Demo file: https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/1b7c3de2-3b3d-45ec-6ba1-81b1789011b2 (you need to target the layer to see how I've done it) How to target a layer: https://youtu.be/jMDpnI5i7M0 

But this trickery does not carry over to After Effects. So you need to do the same in After Effects. Probably ask over in the AE forum how to do it. https://community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=a...